Inspired by True Events... Sort of…
Basically the place where I had my fist kiss has been dug up for flood defences (which is fair enough), but it made me feel a bit sad, so I wrote this…
"Oh, did you know they're getting rid of the clay court near Haruno University?"
Ryoma wasn't one for eavesdropping usually (mainly because most other people's conversations weren't about tennis and therefore weren't interesting), but his ears pricked up at the sound of the last few words. He was currently sitting on the edge of the street courts near Seigaku, bitterly watching the tennis. He recognised a few people on the courts, but didn't feel like being social around people who could play tennis whilst he couldn't. He'd hurt his arm, not through tennis, but by tripping on some stairs and grabbing the bannister to save himself, pulling a muscle. So now he could only watch people play tennis and critique their technique.
"Really? What are they doing with it?" The friend (Ryoma assumed) of the first guy to speak asked.
"Building some houses on it."
Ryoma felt a strange pang in his chest. He hadn't been to that court for years now. There were much closer courts to his house…but it was still special. He pushed himself to his feet and slunk away, ignoring the people who pointed at him and whispered to each other 'Hey isn't that Echizen Ryoma?'
He didn't know why he started heading towards the Haruno University court. Just that it would just be nice to see it one more time before it was built on.
And then he was standing in front of the courts, gripping the decaying fence and looking over the empty court. Above him, a train rattled past. It was very nostalgic.
I had my first kiss here, Ryoma thought. He'd been a lot shorter back then and had had to stand on the bench to be able to pull Tezuka close and kiss him.
There was a strange pain in his chest thinking about this place disappearing. So many important things had happened to him here and soon it would be gone.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder.
Ryoma sighed internally, no doubt this would be some construction worked telling him to get lost or a bratty middle schooler who had followed him from the street courts to challenge him.
It was neither. It was Tezuka.
"What are you doing here?" Ryoma asked, turning around and leaning against the chain fence. It creaked and groaned under his weight but held.
"I heard it was being built on," Tezuka replied.
"Same," Ryoma said, looking back over his shoulder, "they've really let this place go downhill."
"They built new courts nearer the university," Tezuka explained.
"Do you remember when we kissed here?"
"Which time?"
Ryoma smiled, "all of them."
"I remember most of them."
"How about the first one?"
"I definitely remember that one."
"Good," Ryoma reached out and rested a hand on Tezuka's hip, "we had our first tennis match here. And our first kiss."
"I thought our first kiss was in the clubhouse," Tezuka said, looking slightly confused.
Ryoma thought for a second, "no, we kissed here first and then in the clubhouse the day after."
"I'm sure it was the other way around," Tezuka said, not sounding convinced.
"Let's have two first kisses then."
Tezuka smiled, "that doesn't make sense."
Ryoma shrugged, "does it matter? Anyway, we should have our last kiss here."
"Ryoma."
"What? You're here, I'm here, no one else is here. This place is special, we should do something to say goodbye to it."
Tezuka gently rested his hands on Ryoma's shoulders and stepped closer, Ryoma's arms curing around his waist. He leaned in and pressed his lips against Ryoma's.
"Shall we go back home?" Tezuka asked when they'd parted.
Ryoma grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him into another kiss. "Kissing me is that interesting, huh?"
"At home it's easier to kiss," Tezuka replied, "and much more private."
Ryoma grinned up at him, "Buchou's a pervert."
"Come on," Tezuka said, taking Ryoma's wrist and leading him away.
Just as they were about to turn the corner, Ryoma turned and looked back at the court. It was definitely sad to see it go, but he would always have the memories.